Yes, this is precisely the point I'm trying to make. The standards that are applied are not equal, yet police officers are not only allegedly held to a higher

Yes, this is precisely the point I'm trying to make. The standards that are applied are not equal, yet police officers are not only allegedly held to a higher standard, but they are also bound to follow all the existing laws because they are citizens themselves. There isn't an exemption made that allows them to violate the law or have a different set of criteria apply to them when determining if a crime has been committed. The only exception to that rule I am aware of is in cases of undercover operations - officers are able to obtain permission in advance from their handlers for certain crimes they expect to be required to commit (i.e. bribing someone or buying drugs). Outside of that, no exceptions exist that I know of.